This I Believe

I believe that God has changed me into a completely different person. I have grown up in a Christian home with parents who are great examples of the faith that they profess in Jesus Christ. For the first fourteen years of my life, I chose to ignore the ultimate truth that I saw in the Gospel and decided to take my own road through life. I was a horrible person; I was a liar, a cheater, a slanderer, and a lover of all evil. When I was in the eighth grade, I had a life-changing experience; the Lord drew me in and I chose to accept Him as Lord and Savior of my life.

In the Bible, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Isn’t that encouraging to hear? No matter who you are, where you have been, or how many times you have messed up, it does not matter because God has the power to change you! I am privileged to experience His power by observing how I have done a one hundred and eighty degree turn around in my life; now, almost everything about me is different. Today, I am a person with deep, love and compassion in my heart, I have a mindset that all of my actions should glorify God, and I am determined to fulfill His plan for my life.

It goes far beyond simply believing in the existence of God, but in actually knowing Him personally. Have you ever had a friend that you thought was absolutely amazing, and you wanted everyone to meet that person? Well, that is exactly how I feel about my God; my desire is that all should come to know Him and experience something as great as I have. This is not just my personal story, but I speak for millions of people across the globe who rejoice for the same reason; the Lord has touched their lives, as He has mine, in a way almost impossible to describe with words. My story reigns for those of all different languages, skin colors, customs, social classes, and cultures. I pray that my simple life is a representation of Christians around the world who trust that Christ has broken the power over their sin and made them into a new creation by placing within them a new and beautiful heart. The invitation of salvation, God’s grace, and forgiveness is available for everyone. Will you choose to R.S.V.P.?

Shop on Amazon and support This I Believe

We receive up to 10% of every purchase you make on Amazon through this link. So do all your holiday shopping here and help support This I Believe!

Top 100 Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

This week’s essay

Growing up in the former Yugoslavia, lawyer Djenita Pasic enjoyed the peace of her religiously diverse country. But after the fall of communism and the outbreak of the Bosnian War, Pasic was forced to reevaluate her ideas about religion and tolerance. Click here to read her essay.